


I'm Not Very Sentimental

by jollyrogerjayhawk



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, based on prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-09-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 08:48:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3243563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jollyrogerjayhawk/pseuds/jollyrogerjayhawk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An old stuffed animal, a new woven blanket, a borrowed badge, a blue necklace. Items that normally wouldn't have a connection at all, except a particular blonde owner and the memories behind them for her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Something Old

**Author's Note:**

> Based on Prompt on Tumblr, also major credit to Haleigh(onceuponajollyroger or navykillian(on tumblr)) & her fictional turtle Wendy from her CS fic When one Door Closes, with much thanks for letting me borrow Wendy for a day for this fic. Also big thanks to my beta Shaina(skyewardswan)

Emma pulled up to the outside of the apartment complex in her little yellow bug that she's had since high school and watched and waited for the rest of the group and her stuff to get here with the U-haul. Mary Margaret and David had offered to drive it from Boston where they all shared an off campus apartment to Hershey where she was hired as a deputy in the sheriff’s department. The drive was a six hour one and they had all let the night before, staying in Hartford to cut the drive in half.  OF course there was one other party member she needed to account for as well.

Her college ~~idiot~~ boyfriend, Killian Jones.  He had actually gotten a job in Pittsburgh as a marine engineer that had an office on the Delaware River which opened up in to the Atlantic Ocean. A marine engineering job that specializes in shipping freights and sailboats. Of course he considers himself a pirate due to his minor in history that gave him the opportunity to work on restoring old ships and making them seaworthy. But he had moved into his apartment the other day and had promised to be there today to help her move into her apartment.

As if sensing what her thoughts were, just as Emma was getting out of the car and pulling her phone to text him and David to find out their whereabouts, Killian in his jet black Sentra pulled up into the parking lot.

“Fancy meeting you here love” he called from his window, parking next to Emma.

“Bout time there grandpa. I was getting age spots just waiting for you to arrive.” She retorted, accepting his greeting kiss on the cheek. “Your apartment all moved in?”

“Come now lass, you haven’t been waiting that long. If you had I’d have twenty messages from you. And yes it is, just waiting for you to come and break the bed in.”

Emma just rolled her eyes, completely used to her boyfriend’s innuendos by now. “In your dreams, Jones”

“Aye, constantly love. Now let’s begin moving you in, perhaps later we can break in your bed once the fairytale couple has left us all alone.”

The fairytale couple of course was their close friends David and Mary Margaret. Both Emma and Killian had witnessed their relationship from the start. It was love at first sight at the diner they all frequented their freshman year. They had both gone up to order a piece of cherry pie and the rest was history. Naturally Emma and Killian met through the couple, clashed and eventually became friends and then a couple on their own. Not that Mary Margaret ever stopped bugging Emma about David’s attractive, British friend that seemed to be taken with her.

Five years later, the two couples were still going strong and David had finally proposed to Mary Margaret at graduation.  Though Emma and Killian had been together for a few years, they had both agreed to take the jobs offered in Pennsylvania with the possibility of factoring the other in once settled. But mostly, Emma just didn’t want Killian to turn down the job offer in Pittsburgh. It had been perfect for him. Allowing him to be on the water, restore old boats and make a good living. They were only going to be a couple hours apart, an easy drive to visit on weekends. What Emma didn’t know was that Killian already had a ring picked out for her, hidden away in his apartment in Pittsburgh for some far off day when it was time to take that step.

Emma watched as the U-haul finally appeared at the end of the street from where she and Killian were leaning against her car, his hand playing with her hair. She righted her position and headed to where the u-haul was about to pull in, a big smile on her face as she prepared to embrace her newest adventure.

“Hey guys, you find it alright?” Emma called out to David and Mary Margaret as they climbed out of the truck.

“Yeah, wasn’t too bad. Which floor is your apartment on?” David replied, looking up at the tall complex building that had to have at least 6 floors.

“Just the second floor Nolan, don’t worry. You won’t have to carry my stuff up too many flights”

“That’s good. How about we get some of the bigger stuff up first and then unload the boxes from yours and Killian’s car as well as whatever is left in the truck. Come on Jones, we’ve got some stuff to carry.” David shouted that last bit at the raven haired man still leaning against the yellow bug.

“Calm down there Dave, geez. The apartment isn’t going anywhere and we have all weekend. Not ever task needs a battle plan there Prince Charming.”

David just stuck out his tongue and walked to the back of the truck to pull the door open.

“Killian play nice. Or else he may end up dropping a chair on you.” Emma scolded him before grabbing some boxes with Mary Margaret grabbing an end table before walking up the flight of stairs to where her apartment door awaited.

Emma and Mary Margaret got their few pieces up and out of the way when the shouting reached the open door and window.

“JUST TURN IT AROUND THE CORNER! NO MY LEFT!”

“I AM! WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LET ME CONCENTRATE!”

“THIS SHOULD NOT BE THIS HARD! ITS A BLOODY TABLE!”

Emma and Mary Margaret exchanged glances and then went out to help their boys begin the long struggle of getting a bed, kitchen/dining table, couch, recliner and a couple coffee tables from the U-haul in the parking lot, up a flight of stairs, and into her apartment and into the correct room. It took longer than Emma felt it should have thanks to a bickering match between the two males for every piece of furniture that required more than one person. David wanted to come up with a specific way with every piece of how to get it up the stairs where as Killian wanted to just get them up and placed.

After taking a break for pizza and coke, the group then tackled the number of moving boxes that littered Emma’s bug, Killian’s Sentra, and the back of the U-Haul. It seemed to be a never ending stream of going up and down stairs, grabbing a couple boxes, hauling them up to her apartment, trying to figure out what room was written on it, ultimately give up and dump all the boxes in the living room and kitchen to be sorted later. It was a well honed system by the end of it and they were able to get basically everything out of the vehicles and into apartment with some extra time to begin unpacking before dinner.

David and Killian left to return the U-haul, David driving the truck to a local return spot with Killian following behind in his car so they could get back to the apartment together while also picking up Chinese food take out for dinner. While the boys were gone, Emma and Mary Margaret began sorting boxes into their correct rooms and began unloading. The first room they tackled was her bedroom so she could actually spend the night there tonight. Since the boys had already put the bed together, all the girls had to do was make it and decorate the room as well as unpack her other bedroom things.

Emma put a couple boxes labeled trinkets and books to the side by her tall bookcase near the wall for later and then began unpacking a couple bathroom boxes that held towels and what not. She was just finishing up the first bathroom box while Mary Margaret was unpacking in the kitchen when she heard the boys return and greet the petite brunette in the kitchen.

“Ah there you are Swan, Dave and I brought sustenance.” Killian greeted her as she entered the kitchen. The group had already begun unloading the Chinese on to plates that Mary Margaret unpacked earlier.

“It looks great, thanks again to all of you for helping me move today. It would’ve taken a lot longer if I had to do all this myself, especially all the furniture.” Emma spoke, taking her plate and looking around at all her friends.

“Of course we would help, Emma. It’s our pleasure” Mary Margaret chirped.

“Yeah it was fun, for the most part,” David agreed, subtly side-eyeing Killian with his last statement. Not that anyone missed his not subtle dig.

Killian just rolled his eyes and dug into his Cashew Chicken while they all stood around, chit chatted about various things. Emma and Mary Margaret began talking the few beginning details of the wedding. She had already asked Emma to be her maid of honor and they were talking about when they would go out dress shopping with Elsa and Ruby, their other friends from college. Elsa was currently on her way to Seattle where she had a job interview and Ruby was in LA with a make-up and costume gig for a small indie film.

Once the Chinese was consumed and the girl talk exhausted, much to the boys delight, they began to tackle the boxes in the living room before calling it a night. David had began unpacking some books and movies into the TV stand and bookcase along the wall, while Mary Margaret began hanging some of the paintings and picture frames Emma had for the living room. It wasn’t until a few boxes had been finished that Emma noticed that killian had wandered off in to a different room. After looking a bit, Emma found him unpacking a box in her bedroom by the bookcase.

“Babe everything okay?” Emma asked as she entered and headed toward him.

“Aye, just wanted to unpack in peace. I hope you don’t mind love.” Killian responded, smiling slightly.

“Alright, do you want some help? I think David and Mary Margaret are almost done in the living room.”

“If you wish to help love, though when I opened up one of the boxes, I found something intriguing at the top. Care to explain?”

Emma looked curiously at her boyfriend, wondering what he could have found at the top of one of the boxes. She even racked her brain trying to think of what each of the boxes held and didn’t come up with anything unusual. “What did you find?”

Killian then held up a small stuffed animal, just a tad bigger than his hand. It was her stuffed turtle that she’s had with her for a few years. ‘Oh, that’ Emma thought looking down at the turtle in his hand. “Swan, what is this little turtle? IT seems familiar.”

She blushed slightly as she took the turtle from Killian, “It should be because this is the turtle that you won for me a few years ago, back when we went to the carnival with Mary Margaret and David at the end of our freshman year. I thought she was cute so I kept her. Her name is Wendy.”

“Wendy?”

“Well during that date was when you told me all about your obsession with Peter Pan and Captain Hook and the name just seemed to fit her.”

Killian wrapped his arms around his blushing girlfriend and gave her a peck on the cheek, “I never knew you were a sentimental one, love.”

“I’m not sentimental, I just like stuff animals.”

“Of course love, whatever you say. Now how about we finish your unpacking, as you know we make quite the team and could knock it out quickly.”

Emma smiled and nodded, extricating herself from Killian’s arms to put Wendy on her bed before returning to where Killian had gone back to unpacking books and knick knacks she had accumulated on to the bookshelf. It was quaint and easy way to spend the evening.

Once Mary Margaret and David had finished up in the living room, they unpacked a couple more things in the kitchen before Emma drove them to the hotel where they had a room rented for the weekend before a flight back to Boston the next evening.

Killian had indeed stayed over, under the pretense of it being too late for him to drive back to his own apartment and that Emma just had to be kept safe and would need help putting the finishing touches in her bedroom.

 


	2. Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: I’m not even gonna try to apologize for how long it’s been since posting to this fic. I’ve been busy with work/school/life/other fandoms. You name it; I’ve had a distraction by it. The dresses are from Alfred Angelo’s Disney Bridal Collection & Disney Maidens Bridesmaid Collection which one day I want to be married in (See Elsa’s inspirited dress)
> 
> Mary Margaret’s Dress (White) - http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/Disney-Fairy-Tale-Bridal/250/?pg=1
> 
> Bridesmaid Dress in Coral – http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/Disney-Maidens/532/?pg=1

The wedding was a few months out and Mary Margaret had gathered all her bridesmaids together for a weekend that included a girl's night in to go over different details, as well as a time to go out for final fittings of their dresses. Elsa had flown in to Hershey from Seattle, where she had gotten hired at a fashion company, to stay with Emma, so they could carpool to Boston together while Ruby was planning to just drive straight to Mary Margaret & David's place from her studio in New York. They had all planned on having a weekend together before returning to their various homes until the wedding in June.

Emma and Elsa arrived late Friday night and were shown to a guest bedroom where Mary Margaret had the spare queen bed set up with sheets, towels, even two little personalized bathroom caddies complete with shampoo, conditioner, and scented body soap, while Ruby was relaxing on the couch, having had already claimed the pull out couch bed a few weeks ago in one of their online conversations, with her own bathroom caddy off to the side as well. David had already been banished from the apartment for the weekend, off to either New York or Philadelphia to crash with Ruby's beau, Victor or with Killian until given the all clear to return home.

"Hey guys, so you guys either crash together on this bed or someone can sleep on the floor?" Mary Margaret welcomed Emma and Elsa once they had arrived and entered the apartment. The girls had already talked it over on the way up and figured they'd be sharing a bed. They weren't best friends for nothing.

"Sharing is fine, Mary Margaret. Just let me put the bags away and we can all talk in the living room. Besides it's already late and we have an early fitting tomorrow." Emma replied, smiling and hauling her and Elsa's bag up from her bug to the apartment spare bedroom.

"Oh of course, well you know where it is. Let me know if there is anything I can get you? Elsa, do you want anything to drink? A snack perhaps, you guys have been on the road practically all day, I'm sure you're tired or in need of something."

Elsa chuckled, "No I'm fine Mary Margaret. But I'm sure none of us would say no to a small glass of wine. We can all sit around and chat for a bit before bed." Ruby immediately perked up from her spot on the sofa.

"I am always down for some wine and girl time." She smirks as she gets up and wanders to where Mary Margaret keeps the wine glasses and bottles. "What wines are we allowed to break open?"

"Anything but the vintage Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. David's mom gave him that and made him promise that we save it for our 25th wedding anniversary." Mary Margaret replied, following Ruby to the kitchen to wipe clean the wine glasses Ruby had pulled out and motioning to where the corkscrew was.

As Mary Margaret began pouring the wine, Emma returned from putting the bags in the room and relaxed on to the couch next to Elsa. Ruby and Mary Margaret brought out the wine glasses, each girl handing one of the blondes their glass before settling into the either the reclining chair or loveseat in the living room.

"So Mary Margaret, how are the wedding plans?" Elsa asks as she takes a sip of the Pinot Grigio that Ruby had grabbed from Mary Margaret's wine shelf.

"Basically done. David's mother helped us find a great caterer, my step-sister is helping manage everything and she apparently knows a guy who found us the best outdoorsy- forest venue. We are doing the flowers ourselves, our last fittings are tomorrow. So yeah, everything is basically done." Mary Margaret responds with a fond smile as she thinks about her wedding.

"Hold up, Regina, your up-tight, not a guy in the world could turn her head, step-sister 'knows a guy' who can help with your wedding. This is crazy. What did she say about this guy?" Ruby asks.

"Just that his name is Robin and she met him at one of her meetings with the Parks and Recreation side of the city council. And that he's a widower with a young son named Roland."

"Well I'll be. It seems like Madam Mayor may have finally found her match. I'm glad. A guy could be good for her."

"Especially one with a kid. She always seems much calmer and less nutty around kids. I'm glad for her though. She was always so distant after Daniel moved to Europe all those years ago." Emma adds her opinion, having observed a bit of her friend's step-sister as they all went to college and Regina began to evolve into this uptight woman with a heart of ice as her high school boy friend up and left for Europe and never even said goodbye.

"Yeah, she seems a lot calmer when we talk on the phone. Plus she always lights up whenever she talks about him. I'm happy for her." Mary Margaret smiles before taking another sip of wine.

"So Emma how are things in Hershey?"

"They are really good, I like it there. The rest of the staff is nice, the sheriff sometimes reminds me of Killian with his accent but Graham is a sweet guy with a big heart. He's actually got a fiancée that's really nice. She brings the whole office baked goods or a luncheon at least once a week." Emma replies.

"And how is it with Killian being so far away in Pittsburg?" Ruby asks with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"They are fine. We try to get together at least every other weekend and we talk on the phone a lot. He actually came up and surprised me last week one night and cooked me dinner while I was on afternoon patrol. I know he's doing well in Pittsburg. He really likes his job. Apparently he gets on with his co-workers really well."

"That's so great for him. For both of you really." Elsa chimes in with her soft cadence.

"Yeah, we're both happy. How is Seattle though? You don't tell me much. Just that you're happy to be closer to Anna." Emma asks Elsa with a smile, taking a drink of her wine.

"I like it. I've been given some projects that have been a lot of fun and it's clear they trust me with these projects which are a real confidence booster. And it's never a downside to now just be a couple hours away from Anna and her husband."

"Any guys on the horizon?" Ruby smirks, her eyebrow wiggle over the top causing them all to giggle. Elsa just blushes and looks away which Ruby immediately latches onto and almost pounces on the light blonde to get answers. "There is, isn't there? Oh tell me please."

"Is there really someone, Elsa?" Mary Margaret chirps her question toward the flustered girl on the couch who was still struggling to get Ruby off of her.

Finally conceding and finishing off her own glass of wine, Elsa sighed and told her friends about the guy from Seattle, "His name is Joshua. Joshua works at the bakery that's down the street from the company. I stop there occasionally in the mornings for breakfast on my way and every so often I stop afterwards for an afternoon coffee and pastry and we've been talking. I like him. He's really nice and sweet to me. Plus he makes the best apple crumble muffins."

The other three girls all awed and cooed in sync. Elsa blushed and looked away as Emma spoke, "That's amazing. I'm so happy for you El. Just one thing, does he make you happy?"

"Yeah he really does,"

"Then, as your best friend, I approve but conditionally as I still want to meet him." Emma chuckles with a smile only to be stopped by a yawn.

"And on that note, I think we should all hit the hay so we aren't too tired for our dress fittings tomorrow." Mary Margaret smiles, standing and collecting the empty wine glasses and taking them to the kitchen. The other girls bid each other good night before disappearing to their respective guest bedroom and bathrooms to prepare for bed.

* * *

"Rise and shine Girls, we've got to leave for the bridal salon in 40 minutes if we want to make our appointment at 9am." Mary Margaret calls in to the guest bedroom where Elsa and Emma are asleep to awaken them. "I've got bread for toast and pop tarts that Ruby brought so there's plenty to eat and I'm about to heat up some milk for hot chocolate."

"Thanks Mary Margaret," Emma yawns as she begins to wake up and heads to the bathroom to change into some yoga pants and a loose tee since they were going into try on their dresses soon. After throwing her hair into a quick side braid, Emma headed to the kitchen so that Elsa could change and she could get her breakfast and cocoa.

Ruby quickly joined Emma and Mary Margaret in the kitchen, the tall brunette pouring herself a cup of coffee and grabbing some toast for breakfast."Ready for the final fitting today? Means the wedding is almost here." Ruby asks Mary Margaret as she pours some honey on her buttered toast.

"I'd say so. It'll be nice to have this completely done and to get to take the dress home. Oh and don't forget your shoes ladies so we can see how they all go with them." Mary Margaret reminds them as she answers Ruby's question before disappearing into her bedroom to grab her own shoes as well as some bags.

"First things first thought gifts for my bridesmaids as a thank you for standing up with me on my big day." Mary Margaret hands Emma, Elsa and Ruby each a tote bag with their initials on it with some different things in it.

Emma gave Mary Margaret her thanks before beginning to look through what she had been given. There was a bottle of her favorite perfume from Macy's, a coupon to her favorite shoe store, a pair of diamond earrings, a bridesmaid survival kit that included a list of what it held with things like spray deodorant, extra bobby pins, some trial mix, double stick tape for shoes and even a to-go phone charger with cord that fitted her Samsung Galaxy. Then in the bottom of the tote bag was something white and soft. Emma pulled out a hand-knit blanket with her initials sewn in along with the date of the wedding in June stitched in a coral colored ribbon.

"I made the blankets myself when I started the idea of giving you guys something as a thanks. It kinda spiraled out when I found the kits and the earrings. I just love you guys and wanted to show how much I appreciate you being with me."

The three bridesmaids quickly put their bags full of goodies down and approached the small raven haired bride-to-be and pulled her into a big group hug."Thank you so much Mary Margaret, this was so thoughtful" Elsa thanks her as they all break from the hug.

"Now come on, we've got to get going." Ruby smiles, grabbing her keys and shoes before ushering the others to her car as they all grabbed their purses and shoes as well.

Ruby drove them the twenty or so miles to Alfred Angelo Bridal in Dedham, the next town over. They pulled in a few minutes before nine and headed in.

"Hello, Welcome to Alfred Angelo Bridal, How can I help you?" An attendant at the front greets them as they enter.

"Hi, my name's Mary Margaret Blanchard, I'm here for my final dress fitting as well as final bridesmaid dress fittings." Mary Margaret informs the attendant with a smile.

"Of course , if you and your bridal party will follow me. Our seamstress will be able to get your dresses and help you with any final adjustments."

The girls made their way to the fittings area where their three bridesmaid dresses and Mary Margaret's wedding dress was hanging on a rack waiting for their owners to try them on.

"How about the bridesmaids go first, then we can have the blushing bride be the star afterwards?" The seamstress, Vera, asked looking between them. Mary Margaret nodded which led to Emma, Elsa and Ruby going into the fitting rooms.

Emma pulled on the coral, knee length dress that Mary Margaret had picked out. It had a fitted v-neck with straps as well as some extra little pleated sleeve drapes that left a little patch of skin between the drape and the actual strap. The dress had a sheer waistband with a little silver lace beading off to left side on the waistband. She slipped on her silver heels that she purchased and stepped out of the fitting room the same time as Ruby and Elsa. The only difference in any of the dresses is that Ruby had a black lace beading to signify that she was the maid of honor. Mary Margaret beamed at the three girls.

"Oh you guys look so beautiful. The dresses look perfect." She compliments her friends.

"How do they fit?" Vera asks as she goes from bridesmaid to bridesmaid to check seams and lengths.

"I think mine fits perfectly," Elsa answers, the other two nodding in agreement. "Well then how about we get the blushing bride into her gown?" The bridesmaids smile and head into their dressing rooms to change out of their bridesmaid dress as Vera escorts Mary Margaret into her own dressing room and helps her put the wedding dress on with the lace up back.

Ruby, Elsa and Emma were relaxing on the couch when Mary Margaret glides out in her wedding dress, causing all three of them to gasp in awe. She was in a strapless, full length ball gown with a sweetheart neckline, drop waist, and cathedral train. It had a lace up back that she adored, handmade satin roses adorning the beaded waistband filled with pearls, rhinestones and sequins. They were all in agreement; Mary Margaret looked like a princess.

"You look beautiful."  
"David won't be able to keep his eyes or hands off you."  
"You're going to blow them all away; there won't be a dry eye at your wedding."

They all complimented her as Vera checked the laces and the train and length with her shoes on.

"Well, Miss Blanchard, it seems that everything is the proper length and fit perfectly. You're good to go for your wedding, my dear."

"Thank you Vera," Mary Margaret thanks the seamstress.

"Of course Mary Margaret, now if the maid of honor will follow us, I can show her how to do the lace for the big day." Ruby then followed Mary Margaret and Vera into the dressing room to help with the lace backing. Once Mary Margaret and Ruby were done, the four women paid the last installments for their dresses and headed back to Mary Margaret's apartment for the rest of the girls weekend.


	3. Authors note

Hey Guys,

I know i've been gone and EXTREMELY slow to update (for those of you following It's Like Dancing With A Gun) but i can promise eventually i will update them. Currently i am doing a senior year of engineering coursework as well as a part time job so i've been very busy. Hopefully a cut down work schedule will allow me time to write.

Chapters I'm Writing Next:

Chpt 3 of Feel the Rhythm Like A Warm Embrace (in the works already)

Chpt 6 of It's Like dancing with a gun (i promise i havent abandoned this, i love it too much to do so)

Chpt 3 of I"m Not Very Sentimental

A Post s2 oneshot(the 100) for my BOTH Giveaway on Tumblr.

After that the cycle will (hopefully) follow that order, of Feel THe Rhythm & Dancing with a Gun switching off of what gets chapters. They all have chpaters planned out, they just need to be written.

Thank you all for bearing with me, but my muse is very sparse at times and my spare time is fleeting at the moment.


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